Final Fantasy Dimensia 2
by Dimitri61
Summary: The Terran who had been forgotten has returned after killing the two Terrans he knew as brethren. He has wiped the Burmecian race out single-handedly and tries to cope with the atrocities he has committed. A forlorn lover looks for answers and comfort.


Dimitri had had enough blood on his hands over the past years, but due to the events of last year, Dimitri coated his hands in crimson once again. During the year before, Dimitri regained control of is life from the one known as the infamous Kuja and fought back against him for revenge and atonement. Over the course of his venture to kill Kuja, he killed the last surviving Burmecians, the rat people, Fratley and Freya. Many died at his hands including Kuja and Zidane. Kuja used Zidane to kill Mikoto, Dimitri's lover. When Dimitri killed Zidane and Kuja, he became the only Terran alive.

Terra was a planet that was on the brink of destruction and needed a new source of energy to survive, so the old sage Garland sent many of his most prized subjects to Gaia to harness its unlimited supply of souls. Kuja and Zidane were given souls and sent to Gaia to harvest souls for Terra. Zidane was of innocent nature and sought to keep Kuja from completing their task. Once Zidane became aware of Kuja's true motive, he fought Kuja to the death, or so he thought.

Garland took notice of the quarrel and sent another Terran with a soul, Dimitri, to live on Gaia, not aware of what he was supposed to do. Dimitri had been the original leader of the Terrans, and was the one who could stop Kuja and Zidane.

The problem was that Dimitri never awakened in time. Kuja traveled back to Terra with Zidane following. Garland told Kuja that he was only supposed to live for so long and then he would die. Kuja grew angry and decided that Garland was lying and told Garland that he was going to leave his mark on the world. He berserked and single handedly destroyed the planet of Terra.

Zidane couldn't save Garland but rescued the other Terrans in the city of Bran Bal. They returned to Gaia on The Invincible airship. The Terrans were then permitted to live in the Black Mage Village. Among these Terrans was Mikoto, who met up with Dimitri later on.

Zidane and the others went to Memoria and fought Kuja. In the end, Zidane struck him down. After their battle with Kuja, they were ripped from their plane of existence and brought before Necron. He believed that life was not worth permitting to live. Zidane defeated the god and he simply disappeared. Believing Kuja was dead, everyone went back to their normal lives.

When the Terran prince, Dimitri, awoke in Lindblum, he had no idea how he had gotten there. As he journeyed, memories came back to him. With these memories, he reunited with Mikoto and mercilessly killed Kuja in Zidane's body when he slit Mikoto's throat. He then found a haven in the water city Daggureo and laid Mikoto to rest in the sacred waters of Leviathan. He has been there as their guardian for the past year.

"Another day…" Dimitri stood on the bridge overlooking the holy pool that served as Mikoto's resting place. "I still miss you every day. My journey for atonement for the blood on my hands is still long from over."

He walked back into the city and gazed at his home. The people were too kind to him here. No one asked questions. He greeted those who walked by. He was very conscience of the fact that he always bore a sword on his belt. That very blade had taken more lives than was living in this city.

"Mr. Dimitri!" A group of children called out when he came by the school. He made his way over and greeted the boys and girls. He enjoyed the fact that some could be so innocent despite how corrupt the world is.

Dimitri made his way back to his dwelling that he had cut from the granite of the walls of the city. He lit his fireplace with a short chant and spell casting. He sat beside the fire and closed his eyes for a brief second.

A knock was heard at his door. He sprang to his feet and drew his blade. Anyone from the village would simply avoid his home. He stood behind the door as he opened it.

"Hello?" A woman stepped over the threshold and entered his home. Dimitri quietly closed the door behind her and kept his sword bared. "Dimitri—!"

Dimitri pounced on his target and held his weapon to the woman's throat. He put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. He examined her face and was taken aback. He threw his sword across the room and jumped off of the woman. She had easily recognizable black hair and deep blue eyes.

"I'm very sorry Queen Garnet!" Dimitri fell to his knees and bowed to the queen of Alexandria, one of the twin kingdoms on the Mist Continent. She was with him when he killed Kuja and her lover, Zidane. He had figured that he was an enemy of Alexandria since having killed the King. "I wish you would have said something when you entered."

"It's alright, Dimitri." She sat up and dusted herself off. Dimitri helped her stand and they sat by the fire.

"Are you here alone?" Dimitri questioned. She nodded and smiled. "You should not have come here alone. You're thousands of miles away from your kingdom. At least bring a couple of well armed escorts."

"Well, by doing that, you would have thought differently and probably killed them." Garnet laughed as Dimitri shrugged in agreement. "I came to check on you. I haven't seen you since what happened in Oelivert. I asked around in all thinkable places to see if anyone knew where I cold find one known as Dimitri. Finally, a merchant in Esto Gaza said that you were here in Daggureo."

"You went all the way to Esto Gaza searching for me?" Dimitri thought about where Esto Gaza was. It was located at the foot of the towering Mt. Gulug on the frigid Lost Continent. "All you had to do was put a bounty on my head and a lot of people would have come running."

"Once again, you would most likely kill them." Garnet shook her head and chuckled. She gazed into his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you. The reason I was looking for you…"

"Go on." Dimitri recovered his sword from the rock wall.

"Do you remember when you killed Kuja? You impaled him on the trunk of the great tree Yggdrasyl." Garnet refreshed his painful memory. "Well, there is a problem. When you destroyed Oelivert, Yggdrasyl planted itself in Seaways Canyon. Now it is even bigger than the Iifa tree and the roots are digging through everything in their path. It's warring with the Iifa tree and absorbing the energy of Gaia."

"You mean it has been released?" Dimitri added it all up. Everything was being set in motion for a global fall apart. If Yggdrasyl continued and consumed the Iifa tree, it was all over. "Can we get to the tree?"

"No, there is some kind of barrier in the way of us getting anywhere near the Seaways Canyon or Yggdrasyl." Garnet replied. "We tried to examine it but we had no idea what to do. We figured that as the last Terran, you would know what to do…"

A rumbling was felt and heard throughout Dimitri's house. He looked around and went outside followed by Garnet. All around him, the subterranean city was shaking and crumbling. Everyone was running home and leaving the city center desolate. They proceeded to the city's entrance and headed outside.

"What the hell…?" Dimitri saw something on the horizon speeding toward them. It was enormous and dug into the ground beneath them.

"It's one of Yggdrasyl's roots!!" Garnet yelled over the roar of breaking earth. "It's going for the city!"

They rushed back but were blocked off by a huge clod of ground freshly brought to the surface by the root. Dimitri used his immeasurable strength and ripped open an entrance into Daggureo. He witnessed the root destroying homes left and right.

"Damn it! I should be able to do something…" Dimitri ran to where the root had gone through the school. All of the children were dead or trapped to where he couldn't help them. "Not again!"

Dimitri was powerless to stop the giant root from destroying his new found home and killing his neighbors. He couldn't believe it was happening again. So many lives being lost and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Soon, the rumbling died and the root grew still and simply latched onto the ground, planting itself. Dimitri looked around after the root had settled. All of the destruction and bloodshed…

"Why…?" Dimitri shuffled between crushed buildings, looking for any sign of life. He found nothing.

"Dimitri… let's get out of here…" Garnet spoke from behind him as he kneeled by the body of a small child. "Come to Alexandria and help us sort this out."

"I will once I bury these people… they deserve better…" Dimitri started to dig into the ground with his sword. Dimitri and Garnet spent a few hours burying the people of Daggureo. Dimitri carved graves for each one while Garnet blessed the fallen with her skills of white magic. When it was all done, Dimitri gave an ancient Terran sermon for the whole town.

"…and may the fallen find a true calling in the next world for they will surely be missed on this plane." Dimitri finished his eulogy. He looked to Garnet who had tears in her eyes.

"When everything returns to normal, you should become a professor in Alexandria's scholar branch." Garnet blinked away the fog in her vision. She stood and walked to Dimitri. "What do you say? Shall we go?"

"Yeah… It just shouldn't be this way…" Dimitri led Garnet to the entrance he had ripped open during the turmoil. They walked across the bridge and Dimitri stole a look to the still ever peaceful waters below. He silently mouthed the words "I will return."

Dimitri looked up and saw the familiar outline of the Lindblum army's flagship Hilda Garde III. He remembered having to use it last year to make his way to Oelivert to face Kuja. Cid had created it to run without Mist, which it exceeded all expectations. It landed and Cid opened the hatch for us to enter.

"How splendid to see you again old friend." Cid grinned uncomfortably at the Terran boarding. He looked out and saw the destruction and the gargantuan root going through Daggureo. "Good Heavens… I must say I am sorry for what happened…"

"It wasn't your fault." Dimitri finally said something to Cid. "Let's go."

"Of course." Cid closed the hatch and sealed it. They filed into the control room. Dimitri took notice of the ones inside already. "As you already know, we were waiting on your response. We all came here for you."

Around him, the others looked him over thoroughly. He watched a girl walk over to him and Garnet.

"Hey Demi!" Her voice was familiar to Dimitri. She poked him in the chest and had a sad look on her face. She had a horn, which he remembered as belonging to a Summoner, along with some wings on her back. "You already forgot me? It didn't take long."

"Well you have grown and matured a lot since you last saw him." Garnet laughed and nudged Dimitri slightly. His expression changed from one of puzzlement to one of surprise.

"Wait… Eiko?" Dimitri pondered as he thought about how she was a foot shorter when he last saw her. She let her short blue hair grow out to shoulder length. She was probably about ten or eleven now.

"It took you long enough!" Eiko threw her arms around him and squeezed as tight as she could with her delicate arms. "I missed you Dimitri."

"Well, I'm here for now." Dimitri squeezed her back. He looked the others once over. Before him was Steiner, Garnet's aging head knight and Cid's head mechanic, Strata. "How's it been?"

"It hasn't." Steiner spoke in a distinguished bass tone. Steiner was just an inch taller than Dimitri, which was rare for anyone to be bigger than him. He also wore a suit of battle armor with a large broadsword sheath on his back. "We wasted our time coming here to find you. No Terran can be of use in this situation."

"Well… What if Zidane were here? You gave him your full respect a couple of years ago." Dimitri could taste Steiner's dislike of him and watched him balk at the statement he made. He was going to let Steiner know that he wasn't above cruel words at times. "I figured one of the Alexandrian aristocracies would be well vantaged to dislike the likes of us true warriors, wouldn't you?"

Steiner stepped forward to Dimitri and unsheathed his sword. Dimitri smiled and did the same. Eiko and Garnet jumped between them and stopped their quarrel.

"Stand down, Steiner." Garnet ordered. She remained firm and Steiner sheathed his sword. "Don't worry about him, Dimitri. He's just willing he's not too old to prove he is still the head knight of the kingdom."

"This insolent fool should be—!" Garnet rounded on Steiner and he fell silent with a look of obedience.

"Demi, put your sword away or it will just provoke him even more." Eiko suggested as Garnet spoke quietly to Steiner.

"It's nice to meet you Dimitri." Strata stuck out his hand. Dimitri shook it and returned the greeting. "I'm the pilot of this ship and the finest mechanic of Lindblum."

"Well, at least we have a pilot this time. Last time, I had a kid teach me how to fly it." Dimitri pointed at Eiko, who called back that she wasn't a kid anymore. He looked over at Cid. "We've met everybody so I believe its time for you guys to bring me up to speed."

"Okay. About a month after you killed Kuja in Oelivert and destroyed the ruins, we started to receive reports of strange things from airship pilots who flew over Seaways Canyon. Such things included a mass, and I mean MASS migration of behemoths out of the canyon and moving on to such places as Ispen's Castle and the Bay of Canchei on the north side of the continent, which is way out of the way. Also, two months after the documentation of this behemoth movement, large tree roots were spotted growing along the canyon walls and out to the sea." Cid showed me a new map with the locations of the pack of behemoths on the entire northern side of the continent along with the location of every root on the Forgotten Continent. "We came out to look at what was going on and mapped it all out. After a few more months, we were able to actually see the tree, Yggdrasyl. Until now, we thought they were of the Iifa tree's roots. Finally, last month, a barrier was created around the canyon from an unknown source. We've been looking for you ever since."

"Here's what I know… Yggdrasyl was a tree that was used to drain the life force of planets when it was planted on them. Garland would send a vessel to plant it and it would absorb the energy for Terra to use to survive. Once the planet died, the tree would die itself but leave a single seed that is smaller than the pupil in your eye. Garland would recover the seed and start the process all over again." Dimitri reminisced about his days as the Terran heir. It was sort of sickening. "Garland sent it here with Oelivert to drain Gaia's energy, but Zidane prevented Kuja from using it so he had to do something else. But when I destroyed Oelivert and Kuja, it must have released Yggdrasyl onto the planet's surface…"

"Once again, the damned Terrans doom us to hell." Steiner quipped. Garnet turned to him and silenced him again.

Dimitri ignored the remark and walked to the glass wall through which the pilot could see. He looked out and saw the waves created by the air going through the engines. He closed his eyes and imagined he was back on Terra with his sole companion, Mikoto.

_Please give me the strength to see this through. I need your guidance. Our past burdens are now upon this world anew. Oh how I wish you were here with me. I can never forgive myself… _Dimitri prayed. He turned back to everyone who had settled their eyes on his back. They quickly averted their eyes. He leaned over the map and examined it again.

"Hey Cid." Dimitri saw something. On the map, he noticed that there were no roots running along the southern stretch below Seaways Canyon. "What's this right here?"

"It's the Gonei Desert." Cid studied the map as well. "Wait, there aren't any roots there. We've gone over the land several times and there hadn't been any."

"Well, the terrain is very hostile, I know." Dimitri recounted his trek through the inhospitable desert after he had fallen from the airship last year. "Maybe there aren't any roots because there is no source of energy left there."

"You may be on to something…" Cid bit his lip while everyone got closer to the table. They scanned the rest of the map and examined the other locations of recorded roots. "I'll be… He's right. The roots are only in places of great population of sentient life. It's avoided the Lost Continent and Outer Continent due to the reaching roots of the Iifa tree, but it's jumped to the Mist Continent and around the remains of Burmecia and Cleyra."

Dimitri thought of what happened to the two former thriving arteries of life known as Cleyra and Burmecia. Burmecia was the home of the Burmecian dragoons and knights. Burmecia was the city of eternal rain because the city was in the rain shadow of very high mountains on nearly all sides. He personally destroyed the Burmecian Empire by exterminating every Burmecian in years past. Cleyra was destroyed out of greed during the Divine Struggle when the power hungry Queen Brahne used a stolen Eidolon known as Odin to attack her enemies. The Burmecians and Cleyrans were from the same ancestor but Cleyrans were pacifists while Burmecians reveled in war. It was a shame what happened to such glorious people.

"Let's bet back to Alexandria and draw up a plan." Garnet rang through Dimitri's thoughts. He turned examined the others one more time. He nodded in agreement silently. Cid and Strata set to work on the panels and got the ship moving. "I think we can use the library there to research this strange occurrence."

Dimitri stepped out of the room and onto the balcony. He looked at the deck and spotted where he had pounded his fists to a bloody pulp against them in frustration last year. He figured that Cid wouldn't let his prized ship be dirtied in such a way. Next to the dents and breaks was the place he thrust his sword after slitting his wrists and falling off the ship. What treasures… his memories.

"Whatcha doin'?" Eiko appeared out of nowhere at his side. Dimitri almost lashed out with his sword but remembered that caused him to lose it once before. He looked down at her with a smile on his face. "Are you okay, Demi?"

"I'm fine. What is a young lady like you doing out here in this dangerous air current?" Dimitri inquired. Eiko simply smiled in return. She didn't answer him.

"It's been a while, huh?" Eiko leaned on the railing beside Dimitri. Dimitri tried to avoid the innocent eyes of this girl. "How have you been since then? I thought you would be lonely but Garnet said you thrived on loneliness. Is she right?"

"Well… You could say that." Dimitri patted Eiko gently on the head. He was still puzzled by the innocence of this soul. He was truly jealous… "I prefer to be alone, that way no one around me will be hurt at my hand."

"If you hurt me, I'd forgive you." Eiko said with an unusual serenity. She was messing up his mind. He stood up and walked away from the blue-haired girl. She reached out for him but he moved away too quickly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No… I'm just not ready for anybody's compassion and trust." Dimitri refused to face her again. He walked back in the ship and nearly ran over Strata. He helped the engineer/pilot stand. "My apologies."

"It's alright." Strata chirped. "By the way, when you piloted this craft last year, did you have any problems?"

"Plenty." Dimitri laughed and was about to tell him about it when Steiner came around the corner. "What's happening, Rusty?"

Steiner stopped in front of Dimitri and eyed him cautiously. He simply walked past, avoiding conflict. Dimitri could tell he seriously wanted to go a couple of rounds, though.

Ignoring Steiner's rudeness, he came back to the bunk room and looked at the bunks. In his mind's eye, he saw the events that occurred last year when he reunited with Mikoto. He longed to feel her in his arms again. He shook the images away and lay on the bunk farthest from the doorway.

"I need some frickin' sleep." Dimitri blocked painful memories. He hated sleeping as well because his memories haunted him ever still. He was almost lulled to sleep when he saw Garnet enter the room, but then back out when she noticed he was nearly asleep. "Come in."

"I'm sorry, were you trying to sleep?" Garnet shifted uncomfortably. Dimitri immediately sensed an awkward air about her. "I just was wondering if you needed some company other than Eiko."

"If you are willing, I can not stop you." Dimitri sat up and threw his cloak back over his shoulder. Garnet sat down on the bunk across from Dimitri. He could see that she was very tired and her beautiful face was marred with deepening fatigue. "Maybe you should be the one who should be trying to sleep."

"I've tried to sleep but it just won't settle in long enough." Garnet admitted with a sigh. She looked at him with imploring eyes that signaled something, he just couldn't figure out what. "Did you find what you were looking for in Daggureo? Was it what you wanted?"

"I'd have to say it was…" Dimitri reflected to the dead child that he couldn't do a damn thing for but bury with a sense of anguish. He blinked away the picture. Garnet fixed her eyes on his. He was finding himself drawn into the deep blue color of her eyes. "It was perfect until it was fuckin' destroyed right in front of me."

Garnet leaned back on her bunk and sighed, this time more heavily. She closed her eyes and began to hum.

Dimitri concluded it was time for him to let her rest. He stood and walked from the room without letting a single noise alert her of his leaving. She thought he had simply tried to fall asleep himself.

Dimitri paced through the hall and came back into the control room. He found it empty except for the old sage, Cid.

"You've been around a while, right?" He called to Cid who looked back with a kindred smile. "Maybe you can answer some of my questions."

"I'll try. You never know. At my age, you can't ever tell." Cid laughed.

"Is it right to kill someone if they have purposely killed another?" Dimitri asked himself this question billions of times. There was only one slaying he never came to regret. His question caused Cid's brow to arch at an angle.

"Dimitri, I can not tell you that." Cid broke the silence, to Dimitri's dismay. "I believe that if you mean by vengeance, then you should really think of the true reason you crave revenge, not what for."

"You speak the truth." Dimitri bowed his head to the wise sage. "I thank you for confiding in me your opinion."

Dimitri nestled himself against a wall and drifted into the world of the sleeping.

Dimitri awoke with his sword bared in anticipation. He soon realized that he was not in any danger and he replaced his sword in its sheath. He stood and examined his surroundings. He was still on the airship, but he felt no motion of the ship. He walked down the hall and stepped through the hatch. He quickly shielded his eyes when the sunlight flooded is senses. He was standing close to the majestic Alexandrian castle with the glare coming off the great claymore blade that stood taller than the actual castle in its center courtyard.

"Excuse me, but you're late." Eiko stepped from behind the ship. She smiled and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Garnet and Cid are waiting in the castle."

Dimitri tried to keep up with the energetic Summoner. She strode through the castle rapidly, giving Dimitri a quick tour. She stopped outside some large doors that had the Alexandrian coat of arms above it.

"This is the royal hall." Eiko opened the door and led Dimitri through. Dimitri took in the grandness of the large room. Such beautiful surroundings. He wouldn't be able to live in such a greatly adorned environment. "Pretty isn't it? Garnet told me to bring you up here when you woke up. She said it wouldn't be smart for anyone to try and wake you."

"True…" Dimitri took his hand back while Eiko blushed slightly. He walked onward, deeper into the room. Garnet and Cid were leaning over a table further on. He came to the table followed by Eiko and gauged their moods. Cid was deep in concentration while Garnet was examining the map again. "What's up?"

Garnet and Cid snapped out of their haze and straightened. Cid took his glasses off while Garnet folded up the map.

"Well, we have no earthly idea what to do." Cid finally spoke. He threw his hands up in submission. "I can't think of anything. I am definitely open for suggestions."

"When the problem is too big up close, step back and the problem becomes smaller. Gaian scripture, Writ forty-three, Habia seven." Dimitri quoted his recently studied Gaian scriptures. He had found the only copy that survived the "Lion War" centuries earlier, while in Esto Gaza a few months ago. "Maybe you're thinking too hard."

"What do you have in mind?" Garnet question, her curiosity piqued. He looked at all the people surrounding the table and smiled.

"I have no idea. The force field was never there during other occurrences of Yggdrasyl's growth." Dimitri watched the others sink in frustration. He himself couldn't figure out where the barrier had come from.

They continued to voice their opinions on how to fix the situation for hours until the sun went down behind the mountains to the West. Cid bid the group farewell and turned in for the night. Eiko yawned and said goodnight and left the hall as well. Dimitri was sitting by the planning table and still drawing out failed plans in his head.

"Would you like to get some more rest?" Garnet interrupted his brainstorm. He graciously denied the offer and started writing stuff down as Garnet told Dimitri where the food and water was just in case. "You'll need rest… but I can't make you. Good night."

As Garnet left, she gave him one last forlorn look that he did not see. Dimitri began his work and kept writing his ideas down by candlelight after too long. He didn't stop when his vision began to blur and his hands began to redden with stress. Before long, he had written over a hundred pages worth of plans that were eventually scratched.

"Damn…" Dimitri sat back and looked at the great stone faced clock on the far wall. The hands pointed out to him that it was only about three in the morning. "Not a damn thing will even come close to explaining this shit… let alone how to fix it."

_Maddening isn't it? Maybe you should take a break. _Something protruded through his conscience. _It's been a while. I hope that you may soon figure out the problem. It may become troublesome for many people._

_What the hell? _Dimitri screamed through his psyche. _Who the hell are you?_

_It is not for you to worry about. I will tell you when the time comes, Demi. _The presence left his mind and he faded back to reality. He tried to call the presence back, but there was no answer. He was tired of not understanding.

He leaned back and closed his eyes for a split second and when he reopened them, the sun had come up. He sat up and looked at the clock and it read a little after six. He stood and walked around to soften his muscles up. He didn't know why his body hurt so much.

"DIMITRI! ARE YOU IN HERE?" Steiner ripped the doors open and stormed in with sword in hand. "I should have known better than to let my guard down around you!"

Steiner swiped vigorously at him many times until Dimitri bared his sword out of confusion. Dimitri kicked Steiner to the ground and put the blade to his throat. He stopped and looked at his sword when he looked down at the loyal knight. It was covered in blood.

"What the fuck?" Dimitri dropped the sword and stepped back. It couldn't have happened again… He ran from the room and went out to the city surrounding the castle. It was nearly destroyed again while dead and wounded lie everywhere. No… Not again…

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" Steiner came into sight and was backed by more than ten Imperial knights. They ran to cut him off but Dimitri doubled back through the streets and ran back into the castle. More knights were waiting but he simply ran through them. He couldn't let this happen again, he was no one's puppet.

He sped back to the royal hall and grabbed his sword. If he was to die, it would be in battle, like a true Terran. He figured he was already screwed as is. The knights poured into the spacious room while Steiner pushed to the front.

"In the name of Queen Garnet til Alexandroth the 16th, I spill your blood on my blade of honor." Dimitri stood his ground and readied himself for his eventual death while Steiner cried out with distinction. Dimitri made sure that he would at least take Steiner with him.

The waves of soldiers surged forward and Steiner led the charge. Dimitri clashed with about five soldiers before he came to Steiner. The other soldiers were easy for Dimitri to incapacitate, but Steiner was a challenge. Steiner struck and met Dimitri's side but Dimitri shrugged off the pain and slid his sword through the openings of Steiner's mythril armor. His sword cut through Steiner's shoulder and came out and got Steiner in the thigh.

"You demon!" Steiner winced as the sword was taken from his thigh. He thrust his sword through Dimitri's chest. Dimitri staggered and fell on his back. It was finally his time. He had underestimated this aging knight. Steiner stood over him with is charges a foot back, holding their breath. "You have been slain in the protection of Queen Garnet."

"STEINER!" A mighty yell echoed of the hall's walls. Every head turned and looked in the direction of the roar. As soon as they turned, they immediately dropped to the floor in a kneeling bow. Steiner stood over Dimitri, acting as proud as could be, until he saw Garnet galloping toward him. "Dimitri! What happened? Steiner, if you want to keep your rank and escape a possible exile, you WILL explain yourself!"

"Ma'am, I was just protecting you from this demon!" Steiner nearly swallowed his tongue. "Your majesty, he was the one responsible for the nearly one hundred dead in the city. He ran and we pursued."

Garnet was about to tend to Dimitri when he sat up straight. Everyone jumped back out of terror. How could someone survive a deathblow to the chest like that? Dimitri reopened eyes, and everyone saw they were blood red. Garnet knew what was about to happen, but no one else did.

"Everyone, go! Get out of here, he's about to kill someone!" Garnet warned everyone. Her warning fell on deaf ears as everyone readied their blades and shields. They just didn't understand. Steiner pushed the queen aside and pulled his sword from the ever still Dimitri, who didn't even bat an eyelash at the sickening sound the blade made when pulled from his body.

Dimitri grabbed Steiner's wrist and smiled demonically. He crushed his wrist and picked the falling sword out of the air. With a flash, he drove the broadsword through Steiner's throat. It felt good for Dimitri to unleash his demons again. He kicked the now dead body off of the sword and waved the blood off. The soldiers began to run for the door but with amazing speed, he cut them off and locked the giant doors.

"The demons are one with my mind!" Dimitri reveled in the coming battle. The knights charged him, but he cut them down, slaughtering them in inhumane ways. He was enjoying it… He could get used to it. One by one, the knights fell to the ground while Queen Garnet watched in horror. He slashed through the last knight and stopped where he was, studying his craftsmanship. "It has been done. Let them now know that a beast with a temper is one to not be hunted down."

Garnet stood on shaking knees; he had just killed the entire army of her kingdom, plus many of her loyal subjects in the city. It was unbelievable; this was not the Dimitri she knew… at least the one she liked knowing. She trembled as she got closer to him. He turned to look at her, which caused her to freeze in her tracks. He stepped over and on gored bodies on his way to her.

"Art thou a sinner, thee hast the right to quick execution." Dimitri grabbed Garnet by the throat and held her off the ground. She wasn't strong enough to even dream about breaking his grip. Garnet read the reflection in Dimitri's crimson eyes. It wasn't Dimitri… Not the peaceful one.

"Demi!" Eiko busted through the locked doors with the help of an Eidolon she summoned. She raced to Dimitri and tried to break his grip on Garnet. His other arm reached out and grabbed Eiko's neck and held her at the same height as Garnet. "Please…ugh…Demi! This isn't…ah… you…"

"You're right, it isn't. It's the Terran that's been locked inside me for so long!" Dimitri laughed coldly.

_Demi, why are you doing this? _The other presence returned to him. He loosened his grip on the girls just enough to let them breathe. _Demi, don't let the inner Terran control you this way. Fight against it. Yggdrasyl is doing this to you. It opens the other side of your mind with its powers._

Dimitri dropped the girls and clutched his aching head. It was fighting with the demons inside him. The voice was so sweet to his mind, but the demons fought his control.

_**Shut up, Damn it! Go away, the bloodbath must continue. **_The demon shrieked at the anomaly in his conscience. _**It will rain blood in a sign to the great Yggdrasyl as fresh souls to devour. **_

_You must not let this happen to your new home. The home that finally accepted you for what you are. _The voice was so soothing. He recognized it but couldn't process the thought. _Fight it Demi! Don't let it break you! Only you can save the people of Gaia!_

Dimitri quelled the demon and tried to regain control. The demon pleaded but Dimitri pushed it from his mind's eye. He took back control and called to the voice again, but there was no answer.

"As blood rained from the heavens, Yggdrasyl reaped the spoils from its eventual prey…" Dimitri recited more Terran scripture from his endless memory. He fell to his knees and placed his hands on the ground. He looked sideways at the girls, who were backing away on the ground. "For another sin, another punishment. Trust is stolen and will never be the same again. One builds upon an image, bad or good, to redeem of such crimes."

Dimitri stood and sheathed his sword. He looked at the trembling girls and massacred bodies. He shuddered and bolted from the room. He would never return to a normal life now. He shed tears as he fled through the castle and bounded into the forests behind the castle. He didn't stop until he had reached the peak of the highest mountain overlooking the Kingdom of Alexandria.

He sat against a rock and cried. He looked to the sky and cursed himself. He should have died. It would have been much better than this. He thought back to the promise he made to Mikoto when he laid her to rest… "I will never take another life, for any reason. I will not commit any action that endangers another person for as long as I live in this world."… He failed her. He flat out failed her God damn it! He sat there and cried himself to sleep. His nightmares were better company than this guilt.

Dimitri awoke in the middle of the night. His dreams had been plagued by his failures and such things as killing everyone he knew. It was driving him mad. Maybe he would kill himself right here… but what would that accomplish. The demon inside him reminded him of the exact body count of those he had killed.

_**Just think, 9,458 deaths to be proud of. **_Dimitri staved off the blood thirsty entity. He would have to remove this fromhimself. If he didn't kill himself, the demon would.

A light patter of footsteps called him back to the real world. He shuffled into the bushes and waited on whatever it was. He watched Eiko hike around a large boulder with ease. She was looking around… She was looking for him. There was no need to look for him.

"Demi?" Eiko called out. She looked at the outline of where he had been in the dirt. "I know you're up here, Demi. You've been forgiven… It wasn't your fault. I know that you're hurting inside… and I want to help you… we all do…"

Dimitri was about to slip off and go toward Dali but he noticed there were tears going down the side of Eiko's face. No one should cry over him, he wasn't worth it. He emerged from the bushes and kept his eyes on the ground.

"Demi… Why did you run?" Eiko ran into his arms. She beat his chest with her fists. He let her do this to get all of the hate out. She stopped and he hugged her tighter. "We understood what happened. You weren't going to be punished or anything…"

"I couldn't bear not being punished." Dimitri comforted the near adolescent girl. He held her in his arms for a while until she stopped crying. He picked her up and started to carry her down the mountain. "I think you may be tired, it was quite a climb up here. I'm surprised you were able to follow me."

"I just tried to imagine myself in your shoes…" Eiko said softly. Dimitri jumped over some cliff faces with grace.

"You shouldn't do that. My path is only to be tread by one person." Dimitri smiled light-heartedly.

"Thanks, Demi." She kissed his cheek, which caught him by surprise, causing him to nearly trip. Compassion… Why for him?

He made it all the way down the mountain safely and came to the rear of the castle. He set Eiko down and they walked in. He came back to the still bloody royal hall, which was devoid of bodies, except for Garnet.

"I'm…" Dimitri hesitated when he stepped in front of her. She shook her head. "But it was—!"

"We understand, it wasn't your fault." Garnet stood up. He found himself looking down at her because of his height. She was a head shorter than him.

"I'm sick of people saying it's not my fault!!" Dimitri yelled out. Garnet didn't waver. His arm almost drew his sword but he restrained himself. Garnet looked up at him with untold kindness.

"You're just angry because you couldn't control it." Garnet said simply. Dimitri was about to yell out again but he kept himself in check. He turned and sat down. His head was beginning to hurt again. "You seek forgiveness, Dimitri… not blood. We have given you forgiveness."

"I'm going to go get Cid." Eiko left the room. Dimitri watched her leave and thought about leaving too.

Dimitri was about to stand and leave when Garnet sat beside him. She let out a sigh. He understood the pressure she was under.

"Um, Dimitri… You need to open up a little… You can't handle all of this by yourself." Garnet leaned against his shoulder. Dimitri grew uncomfortable, yet secure at the same time. "I know I'm no replacement for Mikoto, but I'll listen if you have something to say."

Dimitri felt himself drawn to her. He didn't want to, but he felt human again. It was different when someone actually cared if you lived or died. He couldn't forget his devotion to Mikoto, but he truly wished for a companion. He turned to Garnet, who was silently listening.

"I would like that." Dimitri couldn't believe what he just said. She smiled slightly and leaned up against him again with her eyes closed. Dimitri began to tell her everything from the beginning, not minding if something was too graphic or too personal. She truly was a good listener. It gave him a sound peace of mind. He really felt better.

After a little while, Eiko came back with Cid, who was looker even rougher than usual. Cid had been organizing troops to come to Alexandria to replace the now demolished army of soldiers that Dimitri killed single handedly.

"Well now… did you come up with anything?" Cid asked once he had explained what he had been doing. Dimitri motioned to the high stack of scratched ideas. Cid began going through them. He began stacking them in certain piles. "You definitely thought each one of these scenarios through. Every possible outcome imaginable…"

"I tried my best…" Dimitri pulled his long silver hair back over his shoulders. "I tried to come up with any and everything possible, but none of it seemed as if would work."

Cid continued to look through the ideas, scratching his head at times. Dimitri stood and breathed heavily. Eiko looked at him in anticipation. He paced back and forth in duration of the silence. Garnet watched Dimitri with caring eyes, while Eiko began to pace in mimicry of Dimitri.

"Hey Cid, can we go to the Forgotten Continent so I can get a look at the situation close up?" Dimitri stopped his pacing. Cid looked up and nodded eagerly. He clipped the papers to a clipboard and walked toward Dimitri.

"Yes we can. In fact, I was waiting for you to say something." Cid smiled and turned to Eiko. "Tell Strata to get the ship running and warmed up. We'll get started once everything is prepared."

Eiko skipped off to the airship outside. Soon he heard the engines starting up. Dimitri held the door for Cid and Garnet. He closed the doors while Garnet waited for him. Cid went on ahead. As he turned to go to the airship, Garnet stood in front of him.

"Demi, just take it easy, okay? We're not pushing you to do anything." Garnet tried to give him some advice. Dimitri ignored the comforting words. He thanked her for her concern. He was about to walk onward when she pressed her lips against his. He froze but then put his arms around her. He had forgotten what it was like.

"Just don't let anything happen to you again…" Garnet put her head against his scarred chest once their kiss was over. She remained there for a while. She brought herself back up and peered into his eyes. "If you let something happen… think of how crushed Eiko would be… or me…"

"I won't let anything happen while I have any say in it." Dimitri kissed her forehead and then held her hand as they walked down the halls to where Cid and Eiko were waiting. They boarded and took off.

"Hello, Dimitri." Strata greeted them as they entered the control room. "Where to?"

"The Forgotten Continent, the border of Yggdrasyl's barrier." Cid laid his clipboard down. His face hardened to a determined shape. Strata acknowledged the order and the ship leaned. They were on their way in no time.

Dimitri watched the landscape move underneath them and then went out to the balcony. So many unwanted memories here. He glanced around and held back his disgust at what he had done here a year before. He ignored the little mementos on the deck and railing.

Garnet walked out onto the balcony and stood beside him, against the railing. Her eyes were once again soothing.

"Is something wrong?" Garnet intertwined her hand in his. "Does something bother you?"

"I don't know…" Dimitri locked onto her eyes and admitted. "It's just…different."

Garnet wrapped her arms under his and embraced him fully again, making him feel secure once more.

"I'm always here for you." Garnet kissed his neck. Before she could say anything else, Eiko opened the door from the hall.

"What are you doing, Demi?" She asked. Dimitri turned to her and Garnet remained in his arms. Eiko wore a confused expression. "What are you two doing?"

Garnet smiled and parted from Dimitri. She cast him a longing look back as she led Eiko back into the ship. As Dimitri stood alone, he contemplated his decision to have Garnet as his new companion. His loyalty ran to the bone, and even deeper.

_Never long for what can never be provided. _The voice startled him. It was the same one from before. _You must live on. If you find someone who can truly understand you, don't let them slip away._

_Who are you? Why are you talking to me through telepathy? Your voice sounds so familiar … _Dimitri threw back before the entity slipped away. _Do you know me?_

_Yes… quite well… You need not trouble yourself with knowing who I am. You need to feel wanted, or the world will never want you. _The voice rang clearly.

Dimitri was about to say something back when a shimmer caught his eye on the deck. He looked closer but then it grew brighter, making him shield his vision. He looked back and there was someone standing there. It was a woman with platinum hair, like his.

"No way…" Dimitri realized who was looking at. It was his lost love, Mikoto. He was still too stunned, he thought he was hallucinating. She smiled and came toward him. "You…"

"Yes, it's… me…" Mikoto said as Dimitri fell to his knees. Dimitri reached out and stroked her face, disbelieving. She was as warm as the sunshine in the reflection of her figure. She embraced him and cradled him in her arms. "I have a limited time, Demi… I came to tell you I love you and that if you found someone who you can be with, seize the chance…"

"No…" Dimitri uttered with tears in his eyes. She was too real to leave him.

"Demi, I was given this chance to see you by the force you're trying to stop. The great tree, Yggdrasyl, absorbed my spirit and gave me a physical body…" Mikoto explained as she held him gently. "I have to go…"

"Please don't…" Dimitri held her tighter. He wouldn't let go. He felt something run down his shoulder, which he found was Mikoto's tears. She didn't want to go either.

"Yggdrasyl is not going to stop… you have to do something about it." Mikoto warned. "Don't be afraid to let your demons loose every now and then, or it will well up inside you… I love you so much… be happy when I'm gone…"

Dimitri shook his head in denial. Her figure faded from their plane of reality and left Dimitri alone with a deluge of tears. He contemplated suicide again more than ever. He couldn't…

He let the rays of sunlight dry his tears and he stood up. He scanned his surroundings for any hint of a witness. He assumed he had just imagined it. He tried to block his emotions that were coming to a head.

"Is it fear?! Is that my real problem?!" Dimitri yelled once he locked the doors from the outside. His words were so enveloping that they were stifling. "My life is but a grain of sand in the hourglass of time!! What could my life change in this world of corruption?! Does the greater good exist?! Am I to serve some higher purpose?! Tell me God damn it!!!"

The sky remained impassive as his voice echoed harmlessly. His rage began to build. He assured himself once again that he was in an unnecessary state of mental shock.

"Am I really blind to this deception?! I will personally take my life if I can reach total ascension!!" Dimitri rambled on in madness. He paused for a moment and thought his words through. "Fear is nothing. Fear is the mind killer. If I am steady… the fear will be gone and only I will remain…"

He heard a banging on his impromptu barricade against the door. His eyes pranced to the glass and saw Garnet with a saddening look on her face. He removed the obstacle and caught Garnet in his arms when she rushed through the door.

"I was scared you had lost it again." She expressed her concerns.

"I was just voicing some thoughts out loud…" Dimitri left out most of the details. He didn't feel like saying anything else.

She put her arm around his waist and he laid his arm over her shoulders as they walked back into the ship. Maybe a rekindling is what he really needed. His mind brewed a goulash full of guilt, pain, and suffering while he ignored it.

As they walked into the fight deck, he watched the desolate continent come into view through the ever large windshield. He immediately noticed the sea of reds and purples on the coast and further inward.

"They've been like this for months… never going anywhere but just as equally hostile." Cid spoke of the millions of behemoths. He watched them closely and jotted down some notes. The airship moved onward to the south and a weird glow filled the horizon. "Here it is, Yggdrasyl has grown even more since we left…"

Dimitri studied the barrier and tree from the windshield. His eyes scrutinized every little thing that stood out. He watched the barrier fluctuate in a steady rhythm and the roots continue to grow and spread through the ground. The canyon had grown to surround the tree, which it had been a winding corridor of sorts with an opening.

"I have no frickin clue." Dimitri hit a wall head on. His gaze dropped to the desert below them, which was not encompassed by the impassable barrier. "Wait… What the hell is that?"

Everyone looked to where he was pointing. To their surprise, they could see a solitary figure standing in the middle of the desert. Cid grabbed some binoculars and handed them to Dimitri. He studied the sentry closely. He had flaming red hair and wore a black suit of bloodied armor. The sentry seemed to ignore the airship.

"Land this thing." Dimitri resumed looking through the binoculars. The man was broad shouldered and looked to be about the same size as Dimitri. On his belt were six different swords of varying types while another large great sword was in a sheath on his back. The man had the deepened gait of a battle-hardened veteran. "This man looks serious."

The ship landed and they all disembarked while keeping their distance from this warrior. Dimitri took cautious steps as he moved toward the unmoving man. The man's flaming red hair whipped halfway down his back as the wind howled and his armor creaked silently.

"Sir! Why are you here? Surely you have noticed the threat behind you!" Dimitri pointed over the large man's shoulder. The man made no response. Dimitri stalked closer and looked him over once again. When he examined his eyes, they reflected a dull gray color. He was blind.

When Dimitri came within ten feet of the warrior, his hand flashed to his waist and drew a shortsword. The man flashed out of focus and appeared in front of Dimitri. The man lunged stiffly with his weapon but missed by a hair. Dimitri staggered backward and drew his sword. The others stepped back while Dimitri tangled with this blind master of combat.

Dimitri found that this was the hardest fight he had ever been in. All of the others had been cakewalks, but this one was definitely mismatched. He fought back with all of his strength but his efforts were to no avail.

"Blood awash with the laces of traitorous instigation must pay with their life." The man bellowed with perfect lung control as he continued his flurry of thrusts and strikes. Dimitri understood this citation. It was a Terran scripture. "The pendulum falls to the epitome of its swing as the guillotine comes crashing down."

"Terran scripture, Writ forty-eight, Habia seven." Dimitri flipped his legs into the air, catching his opponent's blade with his boots. He balanced on one hand and twisted the blade out of the man's hand while bringing his own weapon around in his swinging arm to the man's chest. The man used one hand and clenched the razor sharp blade between his thumb and fingers.

"You are of Terran blood?" The man held Dimitri in his inverted position out of the sheer strength by holding Dimitri's sword. Dimitri was finding it hard to balance but the man's hold kept him balanced. "Are you the one known as Dimitri?"

"Yes…" Dimitri relinquished his grip on his sword and righted himself. The man's blind eyes seemed to be searching for him. Dimitri was given his sword back. "Who are you? You fight like a true master of combat, even though you are blind…"

"The label I have been given is Vormav." Vormav sheathed his sword which Dimitri handed back to him. The man put his hand out, which Dimitri took and shook. Once again, Terran symbols flashed like when he had made contact with others of pure Terran descent. Dimitri noted the large tattoo going from his wrist to under his armor. It was the figure XIII with a raging demon going up his arm. He decided to ignore the disturbing image.

"I am Dimitri." Dimitri said needlessly. Vormav smiled and motioned with his arm to the others staying a safe distance away to come over. "I believe I have never met you… on Terra… or ever."

"I am Vormav Draclau. I am the guardian of the great tree, Yggdrasyl." Vormav said as the others made their way over. "Now that you are here, you can serve Terra and help me."

Dimitri realized that something was not right here. This man didn't know that Terra was no more. Dimitri glanced over Vormav's shoulder toward the tree.

"Um… Vormav… Terra is no longer in existence." Dimitri watched Vormav's expression darken. "Kuja destroyed it. We are the only Terrans left."

Vormav stood motionless for an awkward moment. His weight shifted slightly and his arms folded across his broad chest.

"That is impossible. Kuja put me in control here. He told me that Terra needed this planet to be renewed." Vormav shook his head. "I spoke to him merely hours ago."

"Wait… What?" Dimitri looked to Garnet and Cid. They shared similar looks of confusion. "I killed Kuja last year. That is when Yggdrasyl was released."

"You have done right by releasing the tree, Great Prince." Vormav addressed him in his formal royalty. "But you could not have killed the Savior. That would result in the death penalty from the Terrans. You would not do such a thing."

Dimitri was losing his patience and his mind. How the hell could he still be alive, he ruthlessly murdered the God damned fool when he killed Mikoto.

"Can you lead me to him?" Dimitri asked while ignoring the disapproving looks from Cid, Garnet, and Eiko. Vormav gave a simple nod and turned toward the barrier. Dimitri turned back to his companions. "Get in the ship and stay away from this area. You'll know when to come back."

The others reluctantly followed his instructions while Dimitri hurried to catch up with his escort. Vormav moved quickly beneath his several hundred pounds worth of armor. They came to the barrier and Vormav stopped inches from it. Dimitri couldn't believe the perception of this combatant.

"And the man traveling through uncharted lands said 'My journey need not continue, but staying on this course gives my life meaning.'" Vormav placed his palm through the protective membrane. The shield dissipated in the shape of a small circle. They stepped through the opening and it sealed itself back up. "I will take you to the Terran settlement beneath the tree, the great city of Bran Bal."

"Are you frickin serious?" Dimitri said in a very quiet whisper below his breath. Vormav's specially honed hearing heard this exclamation.

"I am quite serious, Great Prince. Bran Bal was relocated to the base of Yggdrasyl last year. Kuja restored the village." Vormav kept his blind eyes forward as they passed under some immense roots, getting closer to the great tree. They reached the enormous trunk and proceeded into a crack in the base that led down into the ground. They came into the eerie blue light that Dimitri remembered as the main light source for Bran Bal when it was still on Terra. He witnessed the village from above and was astounded by what he saw. "This is the renowned Bran Bal, great prince, your birthplace and Terran capitol. Please stay and lead us hand in hand with the Savior Kuja."

The village was exactly like before except that it was underground. Terrans milled about carrying out their lives as if they had no recollection of what had happened. Mikoto told him that they were all killed last year when the Black Mage Village was burned down by the guardians of Terra.

"But…how?" Dimitri jumped from the cliff face to the village. He looked at the townspeople and watched them go about without difficulty. "They were all dead…"

Vormav appeared by his side. There was something common about the people and the warrior at his side. Vormav put his hand on Dimitri's shoulder and gave a brief squeeze.

"Welcome, your majesty." Vormav once again stepped ahead of him. "Please follow me, I will lead you to master Kuja."

Dimitri reluctantly followed him and winded through the all too familiar streets and allies of the city. The blind man was very quick and agile to move through the town like he did. They walked into the building that was Garland's study when he was still alive on Terra.

"Your majesty, please go in to see him. He will be glad to see you." Vormav bowed as he held open a large door. Dimitri walked in and noticed that part of the trunk protruded through the center of the room. Vormav closed the door behind him.

Dimitri examined the room and found everything untouched as to the last time he had seen Garland before he came to Gaia.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Kuja's voice rang throughout the room. Dimitri looked around. "You are not supposed to be here! Or… that's what I would have said last time we met. Welcome, your majesty."

Kuja walked out from behind the tree. He bowed and then righted himself. He walked up to Dimitri to where he could reach out and touch him.

"You're supposed to be dead." Dimitri unsheathed his sword. Kuja simply smiled and waved the thought away.

"Why would you say such a thing, Great Prince?" Kuja chuckled. Dimitri put his sword to his side. "Everything is just how you left it when you went to Gaia. You completed your mission of soul harvesting. Vormav brought you back. The people are rejoicing for your triumphal return."

Outside the window, the people were gathering to see their leader return. Kuja ushered him to the door and opened it. The people cheered when he stepped back into the blue light. It was all just as Dimitri had left it. His mind failed to grasp the concept and simply fainted.

Dimitri awoke in a golden field under a crimson tree. It was a Terran Ecaz. This tree was the only of its kind outside of Bran Bal and only royalty were allowed near it. Beside him, he sensed movement. He sprang from his back and brought his weapon to bear. His eyes registered a familiar image. Beside him lay his now deceased…

"Mikoto…?" Dimitri sheathed his sword warily. The figure beside him rolled over to reveal it was in fact, Mikoto. Mikoto blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked up at him lovingly. "But you… were…"

"Is something wrong?" Mikoto sat up and rubbed her eyes. Dimitri sat down beside her and she put her arms around him. He had longed for her embrace so much. He treasured it and returned the hug. He still didn't understand how this was happening. Come to think of it, he didn't care right now. "I love you, Demi. I always will."

"And I love you as well." The shared a passionate kiss. It was he had been wanting since he swore his oath of atonement. His mind focused on Mikoto and nothing else. As they broke away, he finally realized something. Her eyes were the same as Vormav's. "What happened to your eyes?"

"Don't you remember? I was born this way. I've always been blind." Mikoto pressed against him. Dimitri ignored his uneasiness. It was what he had wanted… wasn't it? "But you always made sure nothing happened to me."

Dimitri sat against the treasured tree and held Mikoto close. He saw Kuja walking up the path towards them but sensed no malice in the air, so he left him alone.

"Your Majesties, I must tell you that dinner is being served in the study." Kuja bowed. "I hope I am not interrupting anything, princess?"

"No. Of course not. We will be right there." Mikoto looked with her blind eyes to Kuja's voice. She kissed Dimitri again as Kuja walked back toward the village. She helped him up. "We don't want to keep Kuja and Vormav waiting."

She led him amazingly back to the town and into the study. Kuja and Vormav sat on one side of the table and had set the other side for the two royal members coming in. Dimitri and Mikoto took their places where they had sat many times before.

They enjoyed a fine array of Terra's best foods. His memories of these foods couldn't compare to this. He finally began to fall back into his normal life. The things he experienced were only dreams of a warrior. Albeit a soft one.

Once dinner was over, Dimitri went to his grand bedroom. Everything as he had left it. His books were even lying on his table open from when he memorized his scriptures. He rested on his mammoth bed and stared at the black ceiling. He remembered painting it himself. His eyes casually went around the room. His black cloak and blood stained sword were hanging on the wall in case he needed them.

There was soft rapping on the door and Dimitri bolted upright. Mikoto peeked through the door. He waved her in. She came and sat beside him on the bed.

"I'm so glad that you came back safe from Gaia. I missed you so much." She said with a twinkle in her dull eyes.

"I also missed you. I guess that I fell asleep out there and didn't notice you at my side." Dimitri covered up his memories with what he wanted to have happened. "I was so tired from my mission that I fell asleep without coming in to see you."

"It's okay. I would have waited for you anyway." Mikoto put her hands in his. She leaned into him and they fell back onto the bed. "I was so scared that you wouldn't come back to me. I cried myself to sleep one night because I missed you."

"It's okay, I'm here now. Nothing will happen to you while I am here." Dimitri held her close. "Nothing will happen to my Terran people, either."

"I love you." Mikoto closed her eyes.

"I love you as well." Dimitri closed his eyes. They lay there for hours until the blue light outside turned to a soft reddish glow that symbolized nighttime. Mikoto had fallen asleep happily in his arms. He quietly got up and put her head on his pillow. She curled up into a tightened form like she always did.

Dimitri put on his cloak and hesitated to put on his sword. Why did he need this now?

_**Just put it on. **_The demon howled in his psyche. Dimitri began to rage internally but then simply donned the sword. Why not? He stepped outside and looked around. Nothing dared stir.

He began walking around the memorized streets of his childhood. His feet brought him to the large lake in the middle of the town. He looked into it. His reflection glared listlessly back at him. He threw a rock into the pool, disrupting the reflection.

"Your majesty?" Vormav came from beneath the shadows. "It is late, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I couldn't sleep." Dimitri didn't turn to look. He kept his eyes on the uncertainty in his reflection.

"Please, let us go back to the study so Kuja does not worry." Vormav coughed. He stood still until Dimitri turned back onto the main path. "It would mean total upheaval if something were to happen to you before the marriage ceremony."

Dimitri nodded, thinking of the ceremony in which had been planned before he had left for Gaia. His wedding to Mikoto would give him total control over Terra and its people. He would finally fulfill the plan that Garland had concocted. He would lead the Terrans to complete peace.

Vormav silently walked behind Dimitri as they went through Bran Bal. Dimitri stepped into the study and waved to Vormav, who had turned back into the night. He stopped waving when he remembered that Vormav was blind.

Dimitri moved to his room and opened the door silently. Mikoto was still curled up on his bed. She emerged from her slumber when Dimitri grew closer to the bed. She smiled in his direction.

"Where did you go?" Mikoto stood from the bed. Dimitri wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her.

"I just couldn't sleep." Dimitri kissed her bare neck. Mikoto breathed a sigh of exhaustion. Dimitri let go of her. He pulled back the covers on his bed and sat down.

"Can I spend tonight with you?" Mikoto seemed worried.

"Of course." Dimitri took her hand and pulled her toward the bed. She lay down beside him and they stretched out. For once, Dimitri could get some decent sleep. Having her beside him made him feel safe. She fell asleep on his chest like she normally did. He nodded off to sleep once Mikoto was asleep.

For once, Dimitri's awakening doesn't trigger his combat instincts. Kuja was across the room, throwing open the curtains. Mikoto was slowly waking beside him. She propped herself up and looked into Dimitri's eyes.

"Did you get some sleep?" Mikoto smiled with the innocence of someone he knew. "Lately, your sleep has been troubled. I wanted to make sure that there was nothing wrong."

"I did get some sleep. When you are with me, I am as fine as possible." Dimitri sat up and kissed Mikoto.

"How sweet, your majesties." Kuja said in a kind tone. He smiled and bowed. "I was beginning to think that you two were only together for the marriage ceremony."

"How could you say that, Kuja?" Mikoto asked playfully. Kuja simply showed the utmost respect. "You should know of all people that I love Demi."

"But of course, your majesty." Kuja bowed again. His gaze turned to Dimitri. "Sire, you have weapons and combat practice with Vormav today."

"Very well." Dimitri had taken such classes since he was four years old. His old master was Garland, but Vormav must have replaced him. "Are the people going to watch again?"

"But of course, Sire. The people enjoy seeing their ruler in combat, as does every Terran." Kuja turned from the room.

"I'll come." Mikoto said once Kuja had left. "Even though I can't see it, I can sense what is going on."

"Please do not trouble yourself with such menial tasks." Dimitri got out of bed and put on his cloak. "I will see you after I am done."

"Okay." Mikoto gave Dimitri a smile as he equipped his sword and left the room.

Dimitri left the study and walked through town. The townspeople had come out and gone about their business. As he walked by each person, something stuck out as similar by each person he passed. He couldn't figure it out.

"Master Dimitri." Vormav called from the field beyond the city's main wall. The people had already gathered around in the field to see his sparring session. He didn't want to disappoint them. "May we die in glorious combat, one day."

"Yes. May we fall under the blade of courage or vengeance." Dimitri completed the age old saying that came before any act of combat. "What is the preferred weapon?"

"You may choose from any weapon of mine." Vormav motioned to his array on his belt. "You may also use the Ragnorok on my back."

"No thank you." Dimitri walked up to Vormav. He gleaned the selection but instead, chose his own. "I will serve under my own blade."

"Very well, master. I will choose Ragnorok then." The large manservant unsheathed an even larger sword from his back. The blade of the sword had a figure on it that made the one on his right arm whole. It was an angel that was holding the sword of light against the demon. On its blade, it read: Archangel Altima. "I believe you know the heritage of this sword. If I were to die in your service, it is yours."

"I would not let my most valued subject perish and leave behind his reason to live. You were marked by the demon Hashmal to wield that sword." Dimitri reviewed how he had acquired the sword of breaking blades. "I am not strong enough to wield such a weapon. If you die, it will be buried with you."

"I am not worth such kindness, Great Prince." Vormav reminded Dimitri of something from the past while he began using Ragnorok with ease… and one hand. "The people are anticipating this one."

"Let's go then." Dimitri struck first, which was parried easily by Vormav, tried a different approach. He led with his empty hand and landed a storm of fists into the abdomen of his teacher. "I have learned a lot."

"Yes, prince, you have." Vormav shook off the blows that would normally leave a man crippled for life. He planted Ragnorok in the ground and removed the armor on his right side. Dimitri had never seen a Terran shed their armor in battle. "Let me show you something I was working on while you were away."

The full etching of the demon on his right arm and shoulder began to glow with a crimson hue. His glowing arm ripped Ragnorok from the ground and twirled it as if it were a baton. The etching on the sword responded to his touch and took on a blue light.

"What the hell?" Dimitri readied himself. The ground began to shake and Dimitri fell to his knees. "What is he doing?"

"Watch, Great Prince! I will show you the key to victory! The great masters of Old Terra taught it to me so I could serve you for life!" The energies of each image began to flow into one another. The combination turned to black tint. "I call upon thee… Savior of Eden!!!"

Vormav brought the sword down into the ground, creating a mammoth fissure. The fissure began to fill with an estranged aura. Dimitri saw a hand grip the edge from over the side. A creature hauled itself up over the edge and stood tall.

"Wait, that's…!" Dimitri realized the trouble he was in. It was one of the Gods that kept balance among the worlds of Terra and Gaia. An Eidolon. The creature turned to Vormav and waited. Vormav nodded.

"You will have some trouble with this one." Vormav sheathed his sword and put his armor back on. The Eidolon was one that Dimitri had seen before. It was Ark, the Eidolon of hidden shadows. "He will give you your workout today. All you have to do is land a blow on his back."

Dimitri hadn't counted on this. He watched Ark move closer to him but did nothing. Ark brought its arm up and began stirring the air around him. It was his Terra Flare. There was no way that he would survive it.

"Vormav!" Dimitri called out as Ark gathered strength. "Throw me Ragnorok!"

Vormav did as he was told. One-handed, Vormav hurled the legendary broadsword to him. Dimitri caught it and thrust it into the ground. Right before Ark unleashed his attack, Dimitri got behind the broad blade of the sword. The attack went everywhere around the blade but Dimitri was protected by the holy relic.

"Great Prince?!" Vormav called out in concern. The air cleared and the blade was still in the ground. No answer came from the rear of the sword. "Great Prince?!"

"Too easy." Dimitri laughed and from nowhere, thrust his sword into Ark's spine. The Eidolon crumpled and faded into the air, sealing the fissure as well. "Thanks for the sword."

The people around them cheered loudly. Vormav pat Dimitri on the back and recovered his sword.

"That was an act of the Gods." Vormav exhaled a deep sigh. "You had me going there, Great Prince."

"I don't like to disappoint." Dimitri sheathed his own sword. He looked around at the cheering people. They had kept their distance, which had been smart. "The people liked it."

"Of course, it was a spectacle." Vormav's blind eyes seemed to beam with admiration. "I am going back to the study. I hope you will not keep Princess Mikoto waiting too long."

Dimitri watched him walk back toward Bran Bal. The people began to gather around him and congratulate him.

"Thank you, you are all too kind…" Dimitri realized what he had recognized as similar about everyone. They all had blind gray eyes. He held up three fingers. "Tell me. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Oh your majesty, you know we can't see that. At least our prince has a sense of humor." A woman laughed.

Dimitri bid them good-bye and proceeded back to the study. He knew something was about to happen, something that would change his life. He was recalling memories that he didn't seem to know where they came from. One was particularly disturbing; it showed Mikoto laying in a pool of blood in the fortress city, Oelivert.

Dimitri came through the door of the study and looked around in a sense of panic. He didn't want anything to threaten his life on Terra. Kuja stood by the window.

"Great Prince, what is the matter?" Kuja questioned with sincerity.

"I don't know… It's just that…" Dimitri searched for the right words. A memory flashed that showed him impaling Kuja to the great tree Yggdrasyl. That memory brought up even more images. Something was definitely messed up here. "What happened on Gaia?"

"You went there and succeeded in harvested the souls necessary for Terra to live on for another millennium." Kuja replied with no hint of doubt. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm having…flashbacks or something…they're showing me kill you and Mikoto dying…" Dimitri clutched his head. Kuja seemed to have flinched when he told of his flashbacks. "What is it Kuja? Do you know?"

"No, um Great Prince." Kuja stammered. Kuja then bowed and went back into Garland's main room, where the trunk of Yggdrasyl remained.

Mikoto came in and embraced Dimitri from behind. Dimitri enjoyed her touch but it was wrong. Something told him that everything around him wasn't right. He broke away from Mikoto roughly.

"Demi?" She tried to embrace him again, but Dimitri stepped away from her. "What's wrong?!"

"Just stay away from me!" Dimitri yelled. He could hear Mikoto begin to sob. He strode from the room quickly. A thickening of voices made him turn toward the main door. He opened the doors to see the townspeople trembling in fear. "What is the problem?!"

"There is a group of strangers coming down the cliff, they look very suspicious." A man said above the others. Dimitri was skeptic, seeing as they were all blind, but he went to check it out.

He looked toward the cliff and saw four people climbing down. A small blue haired girl, an elderly man, a rather buff looking man, and a raven-haired woman. They struck him as very familiar also. They were suspicious.

"Great Prince, what should we do?" Vormav appeared at the edge of the crowd. His hand was on Ragnorok, waiting for the order. Dimitri waved him down.

"Let us see what they want." Dimitri parted the crowd and headed for the cliff, flanked by Vormav. They came to the foot of the cliff and both bared their swords. "What business do you have in Bran Bal?"

"Demi?" The blue-haired girl looked down. She and the others came down the cliff quickly. The girl rushed to him and hugged him. "It is you!"

"How do you know me?" Dimitri rudely shoved the girl to the ground. Vormav put his sword to her throat and encouraged them to do something. "You are not welcome here, Gaians."

"What are you talking about? You're Demi, you're our friend." The girl cried out. Vormav sensed where the voice came from and slapped the girl with the broad side of his sword.

"You do not speak to the Crown Prince like that." Vormav growled. He picked up the girl by the collar and threw her into the other three. "You'd best leave now with your lives."

"Dimitri!" The buff man yelled. "How could you let him treat her like that? Eiko really cares about you! What the hell happened to you?!"

"You still persist?" Vormav moved like a ghost. In one fluid motion, Vormav split the man in half with a clean cut, and kicked his remains into the cliff wall. "NOW LEAVE!!"

The others didn't waver.

"Demi…do you not remember us?" The black haired woman tended to the girl. "It's me, Garnet."

Dimitri recalled his infinite supply of memories. He was standing in her arms…thinking of finally being…accepted again. His head began to throb. He fell to one knee and put his forehead to the ground.

"Great Prince?!" Vormav heard the strained breathing and impact. He turned to Dimitri. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know… capture them and bring them to the study… I'm not done…" Dimitri ordered. Vormav complied and knocked each one out. He then bound them with chains and took them to the study. He put Dimitri on his back and carried him to his room.

"Please master, get some rest. You can deal with them later." Vormav excused himself.

Dimitri struggled to get to his bed. He fell onto it, wrestling with the memories he didn't recognize. His head became a maelstrom, cursing his mind. His inner demon seemed to be trying to figure it out as well. The demon must know more about it.

_Demon, what do you know that I don't? _Dimitri probed into his own subconscious. The demon drew away from his inquiry. Dimitri had never known his other presence back down. _What the HELL DO YOU KNOW?_

_**I… know nothing. **_The demon lied, and Dimitri knew it.

_You will tell me. If not, I will end my life, not letting you commit any more sins of your wishes. _Dimitri threatened the presence.

_**You would never let me out anyway. **_The demon quipped, not telling him anything. _**Perhaps if you let me take this into my hands…Hmmm?**_

_Tell me what you know, and I will let you do so if you tell me the truth. _Dimitri bargained.

_**You were lured in here so you would forget everything and Yggdrasyl would continue to consume the life force of the planet. Kuja was playing you like a fiddle. **_The demon began telling Dimitri what he had come to suspect. _**You have been down here for two weeks. It only seems like a couple of days, but that is also Kuja's doing. He has drawn on every memory that you have to weave a web of lies so that you would come to accept your old home as it was.**_

_What of the blind eyes? _Dimitri questioned as he tried to hold himself up against one of his many bookcases.

_**They are all blind so they will not see Kuja for who he really is. They believe he will help you lead them to a sort of paradise, just like before we left Terra… remember? **_The demon answered truthfully. _**We both know that you killed Kuja in Oelivert. The only thing I can't help you with is how he is still here. I have told you what I know, now will I be given my time?**_

_Yes…but not right now, you have my word. _Dimitri collected himself and went through the door of his room into the main hall, where the prisoners were chained to the wall. He now knew who they were; Garnet, Eiko, and Cid. Vormav had killed Strata.

Eiko was beginning to wake up. He averted his eyes, he had a plan. He would take them out to the edge of the city to execute them, but have them go back to the airship.

"Demi?" Eiko's vision was blurry. She tried to move but the heavy chains kept her from moving. "What's going on here?"

"Shut up!" Dimitri barked harshly, but he soon felt bad for it. It just wasn't his style. "You have treaded on sacred ground. I will personally see to your deaths."

Eiko's eyes began to well with tears. He turned away as to avoid shedding tears as well. He saw Mikoto come through the door followed by Vormav and Kuja.

_The gang's all here. _Dimitri smiled internally. Dimitri turned to the three in the doorway.

"Ah, there you all are." Dimitri let an evil smile flash across his face. Reading the group's expressions, he could tell that Kuja and Mikoto were still upset, and Vormav was anticipating a kill. "Please join me for the sentencing, if you would."

The three came closer. Mikoto and Kuja sat down on the chairs scattered throughout the room while Vormav paced the length of the wall, waiting.

"I think that these trespassers deserve death… don't you think so Kuja?" Dimitri looked shiftily over to the now slightly trembling man.

"Huh…? Oh yes, of course, great prince." Kuja tried to focus. Dimitri could tell his mind was in a different place.

"Well then, I will execute them at dusk at the edge of the city." Dimitri refused to look at Eiko or the others. Dimitri waved his hand to catch everyone's attention. "Please, let the prisoners go so they can enjoy their last day alive. They do not leave this building."

Dimitri walked from the room into his room. Mikoto came in behind him. He turned and faced her with iron in his eyes, making her freeze out of fear.

"Please Demi, what has been happening to you? You were so kind…" Mikoto reached out for him. She stroked his face but Dimitri slapped her hand away. "Demi, that hurt… you can talk to me… was it something I did…or…"

"Shut up, damn it." Dimitri could see through this lie now. "You were never blind. I know you aren't real. If you were, you would rather kill yourself than serve Kuja."

"Demi…what are you talking about?" Mikoto wiped the moisture from her gray eyes. She tried to get closer to him, but he pulled his sword. "Demi, please! Tell me what is wrong!"

"EVERYTHING!! EVERYTHING IS FUCKING WRONG!!" Dimitri lashed out with his sword on the furniture around him, utterly destroying it. "You are DEAD! Kuja is DEAD! All of the Terrans are FUCKING DEAD!!"

"Stop Demi, you aren't making any sense!" Mikoto backed away from the raging Dimitri. When he stopped striking out, she rushed into him and embraced him.

_God, please forgive me. _Dimitri prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do. He put one arm around Mikoto.

"See Demi, you can trust in me, you always can." Mikoto squeezed him tighter.

"I'm sorry…" Dimitri sobbed lightly.

"It's okay, I will always love you." Mikoto didn't notice Dimitri's arm. He grabbed her throat and clamped down from the back. "Ugh…! What… are you doing…Demi…?"

"I'm sorry… for not ending your life earlier." Dimitri held her off the ground and raised his sword. "You are just a helpless soul under control of a puppeteer that has lost all reason to act."

"Please… I love… you…" Mikoto gasped. Dimitri closed his eyes and tried to block it out. He brought his sword about full swing, cleaving her head from her body. The body fell while her head was still in his hand. Her blind gray eyes were still pleading.

"God damn it… Why does this keep happening? For once, I wish I could cut all ties with what I once knew… and leave it all behind while I traveled forward." Dimitri whispered curtly as he sheathed his sword and threw the decapitated body's remains in a closet. "It ends here."

He walked from the room and avoided the prisoners. He went straight to Kuja's main study, which had belonged to Garland. He saw the trunk of the tree and looked for Kuja.

"Where the hell are you?!" Dimitri thundered into the void of the massive room. He heard a shrill laugh that made him turn.

"My how you completely murdered your beloved." Kuja appeared at Dimitri's back. Kuja was thin but tall, making it easy to snake his arms around Dimitri's neck. Dimitri reached for his sword but Kuja kicked his sword off his waist and then kicked Dimitri's knees out from under him. Dimitri fell painfully to his knees, with Kuja's hands moving bout his jugular vein. "How miraculous. I have single-handedly destroyed the "people's champion" and saved the population. You are better than this, Dimitri. Show me the strength of when you "killed" me."

"You son of a bitch!" Dimitri spat. He struggled to get free but Kuja kept him down. Dimitri couldn't see a way out of this one. "Do it! Kill me!"

"I will, but of course, I have to gloat." Kuja smirked. He removed one hand, but his other hand made up for it. With that hand, he took hold of Dimitri's cloak. He ripped it off to reveal Dimitri's bare back and chest. "It will no doubt give you time to think of a way out of this."

Kuja ran his fingers down each one of the hundreds of scars on Dimitri's back. Dimitri furiously flailed out with his arms but the clamp on his neck grew even tighter. He stopped so he could breathe again. Kuja laughed and pulled out a knife.

"I wish for you to always remember me. Consider it a gift." Kuja dug the knife into Dimitri's back. Dimitri let out a long cry of pain. He tried to shake off the agony of Kuja writing on his back with the knife. "Dear… who should we make this out to, huh? Hmm, how about sweet Mikoto? Dear Mikoto…"

Dimitri ignored whatever he was talking about.

_Demon, I call upon you now!! _Dimitri called on his last resort.

_**As you wish. I will taste the blood… I will flay his bones and condemn his soul. **_The demon yearned for freedom. Dimitri fazed out and the demon took over.

"Are you finally accepting your fate, letting me write a letter to your dead lover?" Kuja asked, not realizing the change inside of Dimitri. "I asked you a question."

"What makes you think I give a damn?" The demon assumed complete control. Kuja immediately recognized the tone. He tried to relinquish his grip but Dimitri caught his hand that was leaving his neck. "I will taste your blood again. If it is the same as last time, I will savor it until death."

"No, the demon…" Kuja tried to wrench his hand free. Dimitri jerked him closer and caught his hand with the knife. "Let go, you demon!"

"Not a chance." Dimitri made Kuja stab his own hand with his dagger. The blade also stuck through Dimitri's hand, but it did not faze him. "In death will you see."

The door busted open and Vormav came in with Ragnorok in one hand and a long kitana in the other. He was astonished by what he saw.

"Great Prince?! What are you doing?!" Vormav held back. Dimitri ripped the knife from his and Kuja's hands, and threw Kuja into Vormav.

Dimitri bounded over the two Terrans on the floor and entered the main hall. The demon thought clearly for once and came to Garnet, Eiko, and Cid.

"If you value your lives, you will come with me." Dimitri watched his back, expecting an attack. The others were hesitant due to the gruffness of the order and the knowledge that the demon was in control. "NOW DAMN IT!!"

They began moving spontaneously. Garnet took point through the city while Dimitri guarded the rear. Ahead of them, a tremor shook the city's foundations. Vormav stood patiently with Ragnorok at the city limit.

"Stop!! Why have you betrayed us, Prince?" Vormav still couldn't believe the turn of events. The fleeing group ground to a halt. Dimitri stepped forward with his demonically crimson eyes. "You are not the Prince! You are the demon inside him!"

"Very perceptive." It was the only thing Dimitri would say.

"I will kill you and restore the Terrans." Vormav readied himself. He lunged with the utmost precision. He impaled Dimitri and twisted his blade, making the sickest of sounds. "My apologies, Great Prince."

Dimitri simply stood in place. He slowly turned his face into a twisted smile. He disappeared.

"What the hell?!" Vormav took an involuntary step back. Dimitri reappeared above Vormav and landed on him. He thrust his sword into the cracks of Vormav's invulnerable armor and cut flesh. He also targeted the chains that held the armor together. "Get the hell OFF ME!!!"

Vormav shook Dimitri from his shoulders and back. He flashed his sword like lightning and caught Dimitri in the side. The blood spilled from his wound and he crumpled to one knee. Dimitri put his hand into the deep gash as Vormav froze. Vormav was about to help him when Dimitri brought his blood covered hand to his mouth and licked it.

"I have forgotten the taste of my own blood… How delightful it is to get the chance to consume it once again. When my blood mixes with yours, it will be a most treasured feast." Dimitri dropped his sword. He stood, still lapping up his own blood. He looked to where the others were trying to stay out of the way. He nodded to himself.

"Prince, you give me no choice." Vormav shed every piece of armor on his body and revealed the inscriptions, images, and scars all over his body. Dimitri noticed the coming Terran battle, and shed his cloak, revealing his numerous scars. The message that Kuja cut in his skin still lanced and seared with pain. "I will face you in a battle of Masamune, our sacred art of combat rituals."

Dimitri had been involved in Masamune many times, seeing as he was the leader of his people. Every Terran who craved the throne would have to face him this way. He knew what must happen. Any weapon was allowed, but only one. There could be no armor, but many allowed this. Vormav followed everything by the book, so Dimitri would as well.

"Demon, when this is over, you will be known as Prince only in your former life." Vormav threw his swords from his belt, one at a time. He picked Ragnorok from his heap of armor. "You will face me at my very best."

"I would expect nothing less." Dimitri left his sword on the ground. Vormav widened his stance and his aura began to flow through the air. Dimitri followed suit and let his reserves open up. The mixing and feuding energies were destroying everything around them.

Garnet watched from the sidelines and could feel the imminent danger in the air. She feared for the two combatants in front of her, but she was powerless to stop this disaster. Eiko gripped her hand and looked up at her in fear.

"What is going to happen?" Eiko implored. Garnet didn't know how to answer.

"We're going to lose Demi… either way… no matter what happens here." Garnet hated saying it, but it was the truth.

Vormav set into motion at very high speed and began striking a storm of blows at Dimitri. He casually sidestepped the attacks and continued to watch Vormav with large eyes. Vormav was much faster and stronger without his armor weighing him down. He grasped Ragnorok like as to strike with a dagger, the hilt up and the blade below his hand.

"I will not lose." Vormav thrust his sword into the ground and sat down. Dimitri watched this peculiar action with caution. Vormav's arm began to glow again with the red light he had seen before. Ragnorok began to glow blue and Dimitri knew what was coming. "Face MY DEMON!!"

Dimitri tried to reach his sword but Vormav flashed in front of him. His eyes had become a black within black and his whole body glowed with the countless inscriptions of Terran curses on his flesh. He grazed Dimitri with the hilt of his great sword and was about to strike again but Dimitri caught the blade between his palms. Vormav was taken aback with Dimitri's ability to stop his bade with his mere hands.

"**How did… you…? I will NOT FALL TO YOU!" **Vormav tried to take his sword back, but Dimitri smiled and began to slowly take it from Vormav. "**LET GO!! You will die!!"**

Dimitri felt new strength through the blade and it began to resonate. Vormav took the sword forcefully, cutting Dimitri's hands wide open. Dimitri immediately began licking the blood from his hands. Vormav swung his sword with every ounce of energy he could muster, aided by his finely toned muscles. Dimitri looked up and saw the sword coming.

"**I foresaw your death, and now it has come to be." **Vormav's attack connected, sinking very deep into Dimitri's shoulder. "**I will rule with honor. You were not worthy…being controlled by your demons. At least I can control mine."**

Dimitri's eyes rolled back in a state of shock. He fell backward and let Ragnorok be taken from his body. Vormav stood over him and smiled, looking toward Garnet and the others.

Vormav began to walk away but he heard something, like a gasping whisper.

**"What?" **Vormav turned to the fallen Dimitri. A very slightly louder gasp was heard from his unmoving body. "**What the hell did you say?!"**

"I said… ME TOO!!" Dimitri grasped his sword lying beside him and drove it through Vormav's knee. Vormav let out a cry in pain, giving Dimitri the opening he needed. He stood quickly and took his sword back from Vormav's knee. He kicked his knees out from under his enemy and grabbed his Ragnorok. "One must never forget the potency of one's enemy. You ignored one of the most important rules of Terran combat. Shame, shame."

"**FUCK YOU!!" **Vormav cursed as Dimitri drove Ragnorok through his chest. Dimitri then beheaded him with his own sword.

Dimitri fell once he attained victory. He lay looking over at what he had done to Vormav. How gruesome…

_Demon… you have done well… _Dimitri praised his other side for the first time. Dimitri saw from the corner of his eye that Garnet, Eiko, and Cid were rushing to him.

_**I appreciate your cooperation. **_The demon brayed. Dimitri had never thought that the demon inside of him would have helped him.

Dimitri reached a hand to his shoulder, and felt Garnet's hand on his. She looked down at him lovingly. He smiled and closed his eyes. He couldn't rest now, but he needed to.

With some difficulty, he sat up with help from Garnet and Eiko. Eiko began patching up his shoulder by tying pieces of his tattered cloak together for a sling and bandage. She was about to cover his shoulder when she saw his back.

"What's this Demi?" Eiko examined the fresh lacerations on his skin in the shape of words. Dimitri shrugged painfully and Eiko read it out loud. "It says, 'Please forgive me, Mikoto.'"

"Kuja did that to me. I would have probably have done it myself." Dimitri winced as Eiko put pressure on his wound. Dimitri let Eiko finish dressing his wounds and stood up slowly. His shoulder began to bleed more, but it was to be expected. "I have to finish this once and for all. It won't end unless I get rid of Kuja and Yggdrasyl."

"We just don't want to lose you." Garnet braced Dimitri as he was walking with her shoulder. "Are you going to face him like this? I don't think that you could take Cid like this."

"You are probably right." Dimitri laughed, but then recoiled due to pain. "Like I said, I will finish it."

The four comrades came to the now rustic looking study. Dimitri kissed Garnet and let go of her.

"I'm going in there. If I don't come out, or something goes wrong, get your asses back to the ship." Dimitri looked back from the top of the steps. He checked his sword and the taken Ragnorok on his back. Vormav didn't need it.

With one last forlorn look back, he walked inside. The doors immediately shut behind him. He didn't even try to open them; he knew they weren't going to open. He slowly dragged his bleeding, battered body into the room where he last saw Kuja.

"You bastard." Dimitri said, barely above a whisper. "Why do you keep doing this? It's getting old, damn it. Let's just get this over with. I believe the record stands at 4-0. That's counting last year and back on Terra."

"I never could beat you." Kuja came from behind the tree trunk. He was surprisingly somber. "Even when controlling Zidane, the man you could never beat, I lost."

"It has been a while." Dimitri smiled as if talking to an old friend. "I could never beat Zidane in Terra. After the way you controlled me, I have gotten much stronger."

"I was supposed to have killed you after you finished the Burmecia assassinations… but you were too valuable for that." Kuja cracked a rare warm smile. His eyes met Dimitri's and they exchanged comforting looks. "I will have to kill you to save the Terrans… Yggdrasyl will need only another month. I know that you will not rest until you save the Gaians."

"Saving others can't cost more lives. You can't gamble like that." Dimitri said as if he were the teacher that had taught them long ago. "Come on, Kuja… If you stop Yggdrasyl, you can keep the Terrans alive like you have them now."

"Haven't you realized it, yet? They are only alive because of the souls that Yggdrasyl has consumed. It is using souls from the Iifa tree to create this illusion." Kuja broke down. He looked away and slammed his fist against the trunk. He kept striking the trunk in frustration. "You thought I had done all of this? There is no frickin way that my power is that strong."

"Then…how?" Dimitri was confused. He stepped toward Kuja with caution. Kuja pulled a sword from the trunk of the tree. He turned and glared at Dimitri…with tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You left Terra to die." Kuja raged. "You were sent here, to settle the fight between myself and Zidane. Lucky you, you didn't awaken. You would have been killed…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dimitri kept moving toward Kuja. Kuja held his thin blade at an arc, indicating a strike.

"You let your people down… I actually wanted to serve you…" Kuja struck like lightning. Dimitri caught the attack in his bandaged hand, causing more blood to escape the wrap. "I looked up to you… You were the fucking prince!! How was I ever going to be anybody? Terra's society was screwed up. Only the royalty would be celebrated in later generations… Where is my fucking mark, huh?"

"Being remembered as a God damn murderer is no reputation." Dimitri could no longer ignore the pain. He let go of Kuja's sword and fell to his knees with his hands stretched out.

"You have to no room to speak." Kuja scowled in disgust at the pathetic Dimitri trying to breathe, holding himself barely over the edge of death.

"You fuckin destroyed Terra." Dimitri gasped and brought his hands off the ground and took Ragnorok from its sheath. "Let's just end it now. Get it over with. I win, you die and Yggdrasyl is no more… I lose, I die and Yggdrasyl finishes its job and exterminates everything."

"Alright." Kuja accepted his terms. He carefully helped Dimitri to his feet and backed away in an act of respect. They readied themselves and gathered their concentration. They silently made their peace with God and their sins.

Dimitri made the first move and went straight for Kuja. Kuja dodged, but got a slight cut as Dimitri passed him. Kuja attacked in Dimitri's blind spot and began to cut at Dimitri's uninjured shoulder. Dimitri quickly placed Ragnorok over his broad shoulders and protected himself. Dimitri spun with a single step and used his empty hand to draw his other sword and caught Kuja's midsection.

"Ugh!!" Kuja exclaimed grasping his side. Dimitri slung the broadsword from his shoulders and thrust directly at Kuja. Kuja's thin blade actually stopped the large sword with its narrow side, with Kuja holding it with one hand. "Did your mother ever tell you that it's not nice to pick on the unfortunate?"

Dimitri had forgotten his mother a long time ago and didn't respond. Dimitri brought his normal sword down over Kuja's sword while it was holding Ragnorok at bay. Kuja snapped his neck out of the path of the razor edged sword. He fronted with his thin sword and whipped it like a cord into Dimitri's shins. Dimitri felt the sharp pains and covered his vulnerable legs and defensively lashed out from the safety of the shield constituting of the large broad sword.

"Had enough?" Kuja asked as the battle lulled down for a second to catch their breath. Kuja was bleeding in several places, as was Dimitri. Neither would acknowledge their wounds and simply admired them as if they were badges of honor. "I have… something to… tell you… Dimitri…"

"What?" Dimitri noted the stress setting into both of them.

"You really did kill me… last year… in Oelivert…" Kuja smiled tiredly. Dimitri's eyebrows twitched. "Yeah… when the fortress collapsed… Yggdrasyl was released, It consumed my soul… you remember. You killed me, impaled into the trunk…"

"Yeah I remember." Dimitri and Kuja shared a laugh as if telling old war stories. "It was probably one of the best finishers I've ever killed anyone with…"

"If only Mikoto could see us now…" Kuja stopped laughing and his eyes fell to the floor. "I'm sorry… for what I did. I was just… stupid…"

"Come now…" Dimitri drew himself up to full height and strength that he could muster. "It's time for the grand finale."

"As you wish, great prince." Kuja smiled for the last time. The battle continued in an accelerated blur. Everything was moving so fast that the only sign of a struggle was the occasional moving or shredding of furniture, and the ever present sounds of steel hitting steel.

Dimitri forced Kuja to the wall and kept flinging attacks left and right, as if the sheer force and speed would make Kuja finally fail. His fury of blows ended abruptly when Kuja shot through his onslaught and cut across his forearms as he swung. He dropped Ragnorok and had to regain his balance as Kuja pushed back.

Kuja's whip like blade kept scoring hits on Dimitri's battered body. The cut and gashes spread up his arms to the point where his shoulders were still bleeding. Dimitri could barely lift his sword, let alone think of using Ragnorok anymore. Kuja pushed Dimitri further across the room and toward the door.

Dimitri saw what Kuja was doing so he kept his body moving toward the door. Each advance that Kuja made with his sword pushed them closer. Kuja put his foot out and tripped Dimitri while he focused on the door. Dimitri fell and couldn't recover in time; Kuja seized the chance and twirled his blade around his fingers, inverting it. He thrust it straight down into Dimitri's chest.

"Damn Dimitri, I didn't want to do it…" Kuja said as Dimitri grimaced in the worst of excruciating pain. Blood gushed from the newest wound on his enemy's body. He removed his sword and walked away, leaving Dimitri to die.

_I have died the most honorable way. _Dimitri thought as he felt the blood run across his rough skin. His mind went from his death to those who had loved him. _I'm sorry Garnet, but you'll rule without my aid. And Eiko could use some help…she could turn out really demented._

_**Dimitri, wake up. You do not have to die here. Let me do as I did earlier, give me control. **_The demon stirred again. The demon became restless and flooded his subconscious. His thoughts became filled with memories of his most gruesome brutalities.

_No. You have served me well, demon. We are going down here. _Dimitri silenced the blood thirsty presence.

Kuja looked back at Dimitri who lay on the ground, merely accepting his fate.

"This isn't frickin right." Kuja looked intently at his sword. "Did I do the right thing?"

Kuja came back to Dimitri. He placed his hand on the wound he had just made. He pulled it away and stared at the crimson flow on his hand.

"Hold on." Kuja seemed possessed. He grabbed Dimitri and set him up. He held him up with one arm and pressed his hand into the wound with the other. The hand began to glow, and Dimitri returned to consciousness. "Come on damn it!!"

"What are you doing?!" Dimitri asked as he began to feel the wound repair itself. "I was ready to die, leave me be!!"

"NO!" Kuja growled at him. The wound soon healed completely and Dimitri stood up. Kuja backed away, now soaked with Dimitri's blood. He cradled himself weirdly. "That woman…"

"What the hell?!" Dimitri couldn't understand. Kuja turned around with hate in his eyes.

"Your lover…just took control of me…" Kuja seemed strangely distant. He was in a daze. "She healed you with my powers. Damn you Yggdrasyl!!!"

Dimitri watched as Kuja thrashed against the tree trunk with his sword, cutting it to splinters. The tree was barely damaged by such attacks and Kuja simply wasted himself.

"Well then…" Kuja threw his blade down. Something began to protrude through the area of the trunk where he had slashed. Dimitri realized that it was Kuja's body from when he staked him to the tree. The body was crying silver tears. "See… God damn it?! I don't even exist in the mortal realm anymore!! You killed me!!"

"Wha… what the—?!" Dimitri tried to clarify what he was seeing. Kuja stroked his petrified image's face. He began to shake with rage.

"I hate this GOD DAMN TREE!!" Kuja reached down and grasped his sword. He thrust it into the crying carving. The tears turned red, and Kuja clutched his chest and cried out in pain. "Dimitri!! Listen to me! What ever happens to this carving happens to me… I want you to destroy it, or Yggdrasyl will continue to control me."

"Wait, I can't do that!" Dimitri yelled defiantly. Kuja coughed up more blood. Dimitri recovered Ragnorok and whipped it around to get used to it again. "Fine."

Kuja stepped aside, cradling his injuries. Dimitri moved toward the trunk and shot one last glance at Kuja, who nodded. Dimitri cut several chunks out of the crying image, ignoring Kuja's cries of pain behind him. He was afraid to see what had been to done to Kuja's form.

"GO. Get the hell out of here." Kuja rasped dryly. Dimitri sheathed his sword and refused to look up as he put Ragnorok on his back. "I will take care of everything. See you on the other side…"

Dimitri busted down the doors and bolted from the building. He noticed the people of Bran Bal were lying in the street, in a sort of stasis. His unimaginable pace carried him to the cliff face to the surface. He took one last look back and saw the trunk of Yggdrasyl resonating with weird auras. He double-timed his climb up the cliff.

Time was running out and he needed to get his ass on the airship. Hopefully they didn't already leave, but if they did, they were smart. Dimitri swiftly evaded crumbling and falling rock masses on his course from the underground. He skirted dangerously close to a boulder falling from the ceiling, making him misstep. The misstep made him fall on his face. He flipped to his back to spring up but a column of rock fell onto him.

The blow nearly rendered him unconscious. He looked up in a daze, trying to settle back into reality.

"FUCK!!" Dimitri exclaimed as he regained his vision. He was pinned under the rocks and couldn't seem to move anything. His sword was digging into his side and thigh while Ragnorok was leaving cutting impressions in his back and cloak. "YOU SON OF A—!!"

Dimitri watched the exit's soothing light be blocked out by fallen debris. He kept cursing loudly in anger and frustration. He had escaped death so many times…and to think that he was to die in a frickin tomb of rock and earth. He had defeated the greatest of warriors in the face of death…

The ground began to rumble with more force and frequency, causing even more debris to fall. He was soon completely covered and still cursing. He had to think quickly, his air wouldn't last but a minute. His mind tapped into his overdrive program.

He fluctuated his energy vividly through his upper arms for a start. The surrounding earth turned to sand and piled on him, giving him more leeway to move. He placed his hands on the rocks above them and vented some energy carefully. Even more sand rippled down.

"Yes!!" Dimitri called out in joy. He soon had room to roll over. He did so and twisted Ragnorok onto his chest. This had to work. He raised the blade up to the obstacle in his way. "**Great Terrans, I call upon thee!!**"

At first, nothing happened, but then the weapon became aglow with ancient power sealed away. The sword carved the rock anywhere near it. Dimitri felt the kickback of power from the sword and cleaved his way out of the cavern. After many swing, he felt the harsh Forgotten Continent wind and sun on his body.

"Finally…" The sword reverted back to normal and Dimitri jumped from the ledge he cut. He looked to the sky and saw no airship. He hung his head and wished the others the best of luck. "I have got to get away from this frickin tree…"

Dimitri saw the roots cringing and flinching as more and more damage pounded the trunk of the great tree. Kuja must have been doing a good job. The roots began to go crazy and flailing against the ground, causing massive quakes to surge through the land.

Dimitri sprinted from where he was standing and headed away from the epicenter. Not looking back, he could feel Yggdrasyl becoming unstable and heard the splintering of a great trunk. It was not going to end well. His internal compass told him he was heading north.

_If I head north, the damage should be minimal. _Dimitri contemplated his predicament and tried to assume possible outcomes. Beneath him, he felt a great root surging to the surface. This was the phase where the roots would hunt down any sentient life to save the tree and supply it with more life force to heal.

He noted the fissure lines below him and tried to move but the root broke the surface with surprising speed. He lost balance and he slid face first over the rigid desert landscape. He saw the impending shadow come over him and engulf him. He had no hope of getting out of the way.

"Perfect." Dimitri uttered sarcastically as the root neared. He held up both swords to shield himself, but when the root came down, there was no way he could survive. The root slammed down, raising a cloud of dust and forlorn memories…

Garnet gazed out the window of the great Alexandrian castle tower in which she spent many silent hours. In front of her on a small table was the cloak of a man she would never forget. It was bloodstained and torn at the bottom and sides.

She thought of the man in only the kindest of ways and did so often. Her lingering memories of him were her mementos of being with him. He had always protected her and never let anything happen.

She reminisced of what had happened months ago. Yggdrasyl had been stopped, most likely due to the man she thought so fondly of. Everything had returned to normal. Peace and prosperity beckoned throughout the land and seemed permanent for the first time.

Her eyes shifted to the table and it solitary item on its wooden face. The gold crucifix showed his dedication, the guiding light he showered on others as he himself remained in darkness. His name had never been shouted from the rooftops in recognition of what he had done, but she liked being one of the only ones who knew what really happened.

She stood and walked to the table. She bent down and kissed the collar on the cloak. It was all she had left of him, and she would treasure it for the rest of her life. She hated to imagine what could have really happened to him, but she wished him nothing but peace.

Garnet walked from her sanctuary and entered the foyer of the castle. Eiko stood waiting for her with Cid along side. She smiled and went to them.

"Did you forget?" Eiko laughed. "It's my twelfth birthday today!"

"Of course not." Garnet kneeled and hugged her. "Let's go into the town and celebrate."

Eiko cheered as the three old friends set off to the town. They browsed through the market places and shared their views on many topics, such as Garnet dying her hair. Garnet laughed and told her that raven black was more distinguished and gave off the image of beauty and youth. Eiko snorted that it was all it gave off.

They laughed as Cid tried on a foreign hat and glasses. As they were walking, they became hungry and sat down in a fine restaurant of good stature that was open to the public. Garnet picked a booth in the back and sat down as Eiko and Cid followed suit.

"Your majesty…how may we serve you…?" The waitress seemed on edge due to the presence of one so noble. They ordered food and drink and continued their conversation. While they were talking, the waitress stopped at the table beside them that was separated by a divider. "Um…of course sir…"

The waitress came back and served their orders. She seemed to have cheered up a little and bid them a good day.

"Wait. What about the bill?" Garnet called but the waitress had continued to the adjacent table. She sat back into her seat and began to eat. She watched the waitress part from the table and was about to call her again when she heard whistling from the opposite table. "Huh?"

"I got it for you." A deep voice bellowed as a hand held up the bill above the divider.

"You don't have to do that." Garnet spoke through the divider. The hand dropped back down.

"It's alright your majesty; I insist it as my duty to my kingdom." The man said seriously. Garnet thanked him and continued eating while continuing the previous conversation with Eiko and Cid.

While the three were eating, the man next to them slipped out quietly and paid for both tables' meals. As Garnet was finishing her food, she got up and went around the divider and saw no one there.

"Excuse me, but did the man sitting here leave?" Garnet asked the same waitress that had served them as she walked by.

"Yes. He paid for his and his own." She had a dreamy look on her face. "He looked scary at first with a huge sword on his back and a sword on his waist, but then he surprised me by citing such beautiful words. It was something like 'A man with no identity can not be feared…because then one does not know what to fear' or something like that and then he said something like 'Terran Scripture'… or something. But he was easy on the eyes with his silver hair and broad shoulders…"

Garnet couldn't believe what she was hearing. The details were too perfect. It had to have been him with a description like that. She rushed to Eiko and Cid and told them what she had just been told. Both of their jaws dropped. They rushed out of the restaurant and looked around.

"He could be anywhere by now…" Garnet whispered as they looked the streets over frantically. Then an idea surged through her head. She knew where he would go if he were here. She immediately went toward the castle with the other two at her heels. "I know where he would be!!"

They dashed the span to the castle and flooded through the halls. Garnet stopped them and told them to wait here. They were standing by the door to the sealed courtyard. It was filled with flowers and had sunlight at all times until the sun actually set.

She pushed open the doors with a building air of excitement. She ran in but saw nothing but the blooming flowers. Her heart sank and hung her head. She slowly drug herself to the other wall. She leaned against it and slid to the ground. She felt tears roll freely and held her knees to her chest. She had stupidly gotten her hopes up.

"You know me too well." The deep voice sounded in front of her. She looked up and her eyes met with his.

"Demi!!" She flew into his arms. She clung to him and let more tears loose on his chest. "Where have you been?!"

"Making my way here." Dimitri held her ever so gently. "I had to dig my way out of the cave and made it to the surface. You had already left like I had told you to do. I tried to get as far away as possible but one of Yggdrasyl's roots got to me. It plunged me deep into the ground, but luckily, Bran Bal was right beneath us and I landed in the lake in the center of the city."

"How come it has taken so long for you to come back to me?" Garnet looked into Dimitri's radiant eyes.

"I had to climb the dead root out and trek through the desert. I went north and encountered the displaced behemoths. I killed the least possible and arrived at Ispen's Castle. I found some stuff there to furnish the makings of a boat. I made one and sailed to Esto Gaza. I met up with a merchant friend of mine and got a ride to Conde Peite. From there, I followed one of the oldest underground tunnels between continents and mad my entrance onto Mist continent. I walked from there to get here. I have missed you so much."

"And I deeply missed you too." Garnet kissed him and stood together for a minute. Then they parted lips and walked back into the castle, greeted by an excited Eiko and Cid. Dimitri hugged Eiko and shook hands with Cid.

Dimitri was led by the others into the grand hall. The sat him down and began to ask many questions. He answered them all truthfully and accepted the responsibility of explaining how Kuja was not truly evil… this time…

After the questions, Garnet led Dimitri up to the tower where she showed him his cloak. She watched him as he donned his signature cloak and embraced him again.

"It looks so much better on you than that table." She kissed him again. He picked her off her feet and carried her down the stairs. She kept her arms around his neck and pressed against his muscular body.

She had longed for this day to come. She had seemed to long for it ever since she could remember knowing Dimitri. Originally, she had been jealous of Mikoto for having him, but she grew to accept that he was not for her. She had been wrong. She wondered if she could ever be as good to him as Mikoto was…

From that point on, Garnet ruled her kingdom with Dimitri as her advisor. He soon became endeared to the people and they grew to love him just as they loved their queen. But no matter how much love the people shared for them, it couldn't match the love between them.


End file.
